One of Canada’s most iconic music photographers, London-based John Rowlands, is sharing his remarkable story in the book Shooting Stars: Telling Tales Behind the Lens with John Rowlands, written by veteran music journalist Bob Klanac.
The memoir, now available, explores Rowlands’ extraordinary five-decade career photographing some of the most legendary performers in music history.
Rowlands’ path began in Oshawa, Ontario, where his father — a radio personality and passionate amateur photographer — passed down his professional camera equipment.
At just 13, Rowlands used that camera to photograph pop star Brenda Lee, his teenage crush, during a 1960 Ottawa concert.
His images impressed Lee’s management so much that he was paid $35 — an unexpected start to a career that would place him on the front lines of rock and roll.
Over the years, Rowlands’ photographs appeared in world-renowned publications including Rolling Stone, Time, Life, and Newsweek. His lens captured defining moments of music icons such as Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Leonard Cohen, Gordon Lightfoot, Rush, Willie Nelson, and David Bowie.
Among the most treasured relationships Rowlands built was with George Harrison of The Beatles.
Rowlands remained friends with Harrison, often calling to check in even after Harrison’s touring days. “They were regular people with regular problems,” Rowlands explained.
One of Rowlands’ most celebrated works is his iconic “Archer” photograph of David Bowie, captured during a concert at Maple Leaf Gardens. Rowlands had scouted the performance the night before in Montreal to position himself for the perfect angle.
Bowie loved the image so much he personally selected it for RCA Records, cementing Rowlands’ reputation as a photographer with not only technical skill but also a deep sense of timing and empathy.
In recent years, Rowlands has also regained ownership of thousands of negatives from his early career — photographs once tied up in a lengthy legal dispute.
With this collection, which he calls his “Lost Legends” archive, he is preparing a new website to showcase the breadth of his work. The recovered images include rare and unseen shots of hundreds of performers across multiple generations of music.
Despite facing health challenges, Rowlands remains active through speaking engagements titled Rock and Roll Memories, where he recounts the behind-the-scenes stories of life on tour with music’s greatest stars. His memoir with Bob Klanac, Shooting Stars, expands on these tales, combining Rowlands’ intimate perspective with Klanac’s storytelling to provide readers with a definitive account of his career.
For fans of music, photography, and history, Shooting Stars offers more than images — it reveals the emotion, honesty, and humanity of the artists who defined an era, all seen through the lens of one of Canada’s greatest visual chroniclers.
Written by: Jeremy Hall
